Seven
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Seven of Nanao's birthdays. Companion to Eleven.
1. First

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**First**

Her first birthday with the Eighth Division came after Lisa had disappeared. Nanao had come to the Eighth in January. Lisa had disappeared in June. She hadn't been expecting anything to happen. Nothing ever had before. The fact that she actually remembered the date of her birthday was surprising enough. Besides, she was still sad, and she still missed Lisa. Things were better than they were, but Nanao was still sad.

So she was surprised when she woke the morning of her birthday to find a pale pink yukata patterned with cherry blossoms laid out for her. When she opened her door, there was a pair of match sandals waiting on her doorstep. Nanao went off to breakfast dressed in her new finery. Afterwards, she stopped by her desk. While she did have the day off, it never hurt to see if anyone had left her a message. There were no messages.

Instead Nanao found a new set of pens, a small leather bound journal, and a novel. There was note or any other indication of who they were from. It puzzled Nanao quite a bit. Other than Lisa, no one in her division had ever really taken much notice of her. Still, it was very nice of someone to do this for her. In a happy mood, Nanao set out for the gardens that were by the Thirteenth Division. That was always a pleasant place to read.

She was so entranced by her new book that she didn't notice the passing of time. It was only when a shadow blocked her light that Nanao looked up. Captain Kyoraku stood in front of her.

"Good book, Nanao-chan?"

She blinked a little, startled by his affectionate nickname. "Yes, sir."

"Ne, Nanao-chan, what's you're favorite meal?"

"Sir?" She couldn't fathom why he was asking this.

"It's an easy question, Nanao-chan."

"Udon." She bit her lip.

The next thing Nanao knew her captain had scooped her up in his arms and was carrying her off. Any protests she made fell on deaf ears, so she finally just sat back and tried to figure out their destination. She was more than a little surprised when they left the Seireitei. Kyoraku finally stopped at a restaurant in the first district and set her on her feet.

"Come along, Nanao-chan. I think they have the best noodles in the Rukongai here, but you'll have to judge for yourself."

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, Nanao trailed behind her captain. Before she knew it, she was seated at the counter beside him, reading over the menu. Once they had ordered, she couldn't help it any longer.

"Captain? What are you doing this?"

His eyes were warm. "Because, my adorable Nanao-chan, everyone's birthday should be special. Jyuu and I have long held the tradition that if someone in our division doesn't have anyone to make it a special day for them, we would. Besides, my Nanao-chan just happened to be born on the date of my favorite festival. That's another reason to make it a special day."

"Thank you." Nanao was sure she was blushing. She made a mental note to find out when Captain Kyoraku's birthday was, so she could get him a gift or so something nice for him.

Lunch was very good. Nanao had scarcely finished her noodles when her captain whisked her off again. This time he headed for where all of the festival booths were set up. It was Tanabata after all. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering from stall to stall, playing games and sampling different festival foods. It was actually quite fun, and Nanao soon found herself relaxing around her captain. They ran into several other shinigami she recognized. Both Captain Ukitake and Captain Unohana ended up joining them, and Nanao thought she had caught sight of Rangiku Matsumoto holding hands with Gin Ichimaru.

They finally settled on the roof of the Eighth Division to watch the fireworks. When Nanao shivered, it was a little chilly, she found herself pulled into Captain Kyoraku's lap, his haori wrapped around the both of them. She watched the bright colors blossom in the sky and let out a soft yawn. She was already drifting off when her captain kissed the top of her head.

"Happy Birthday, Nanao."


	2. Second

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Second**

When Nanao woke the morning of her birthday, she was not surprised to find a yukata waiting for her. This year it carried a pattern of goldfish, and the barrettes that were with it matched. She had been trying to grow out her hair lately, and while it wasn't long enough to put up or pull back in a ponytail, she could clip it back so it stayed out of her face. The reason Nanao wasn't surprised by the gift was because she had gotten the same thing for the past five years. There was no use fussing over it. Her captain wasn't about to end the tradition.

Nanao wasn't sure what to make of her captain's attention. On the one hand, he was constantly calling her things like 'my cute Nanao-chan' and treated her like a little girl. But on the other hand, he had encouraged her to continue studying and developing her skills at kidou as well as taking more responsibility in the division. This year in fact he had encourage her to attempt for a seat in the division, and she had ended up the fifth seat. That had been what prompted her to grow her hair out actually. Nanao was finding it a little difficult to be in charge of things when she looked like an eleven year old. No matter that she was a powerful kidou user and knew the division paperwork inside out.

But Nanao wasn't going to worry about any of that today. Today was her birthday and her day off, and she planned on enjoying it. She would have the morning to herself to enjoy. The rest of the day had followed the same pattern for the past five years. Captain Kyoraku would take her out to lunch, and then they would go to the festival together. The day would end with watching the fireworks on the division roof. Nanao had managed to stop falling asleep on her captain at that point in the evening after the second year. It was actually a very nice way to spend her birthday.

Making her way to her office, Nanao paused along the way to greet the shinigami she recognized. Somehow it had gotten to be tradition to leave her gifts on her desk. The blame for that probably also rested on her captain, but Nanao wasn't going to complain. The one thing she would change was the tradition of not leaving any indication of who had left the gift. It made it hard for her to write thank you notes if she didn't know who to address them to. She could always make educated guesses, but she was never quite sure if she had matched the right present to the right giver. This year there proved to be quite a collection waiting on her desk.

There was a slim volume of poetry, probably from Captain Ukitake, and a little tin of the lily of the valley hand cream she used which was most likely from Captain Unohana. The set of hairclips feature various flowers were almost assuredly Rangiku's gift. The box of various different teas (but no green tea thankfully) and the little landscape portrait were harder to place. There was also a music box that played the children's song associated with Tanabata. That was definitely from her captain.

She took her gifts back to her room before making her way to the library. Nanao wanted to find a few books on advanced kidou, and Captain Kyoraku would find her when he was ready to go to lunch. In fact, when he did find her, she was engrossed in the research on invoking kidou without an incantation. Captain Kyoraku swept her off to yet another noodle shop. Udon had become their traditional birthday lunch. They chatted about Nanao's new position while they ate.

Afterwards, the two of them headed for the festival. It didn't take long before they were joined by Rangiku and then Kaien and his wife. Nanao relaxed as they laughed together and took turns at the various games. These afternoons were some of her favorite memories. They were one of the few times she felt comfortable simply being Nanao and didn't have to worry about acting like an officer of the thirteen divisions at all times. She had found that to be taken seriously by most shinigami, she could not afford to act in any way other than a competent, self assured officer. Maybe one day people would look past her childish appearance, but until they did, she would just have to act like she knew what she was doing all the time. It was hard sometimes, but it was better than being ignored or dismissed because people couldn't see past her appearance.

Not that her captain ever treated her like that. And neither did Rangiku. And today was her birthday. So it was alright to giggle and tease her captain back. She was happy but weary when they all made their way to their viewing spot for the fireworks. The roof of the Eighth Division was a good choice if only because it was one of the few roofs that would not be used as a pathway. Too many people had interrupted her captain's naps, and he had not been pleased. These days people knew better.

Nanao settled beside her captain with a smile as the fireworks began. Not a bad way to spend her birthday.


	3. Third

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Third**

One of these days she was going to have to find out how her captain always seemed to know the exact size of clothes she wore. The yukata he gave her every year always fit perfectly. Nanao smiled at her reflection in the mirror. This year's yukata was a deep plum color and was patterned with white plum blossoms. The obi was a soft lavender. He had never repeated a fabric color or pattern either over all these years. This year she actually looked like an adult. Well, at least an older teenager. It was nice. This past year she had much less trouble convincing people she was serious and she knew what she was talking about. Nanao wasn't sure if it the way she looked or if it was because she had finally been at her division long enough that everyone knew who she was. Either way, she appreciated it.

She made her way towards the office, noting that it was currently overcast. She hoped it would clear up in time for the fireworks. It really was no fun if the weather was bad on Tanabata. Hopefully, the clouds would move along their way before too long. Nanao wouldn't worry about it though. It wasn't like she could do anything to change the weather. Nanao did find herself a little startled by the little clutch of gifts on her desk though. The trio of perfumed body washes (sandalwood, lilac and wisteria, and bird of paradise) were likely from Rangiku, but the rest of the gifts clearly showed a theme. There was an incredibly elegant new desk set (brushes, ink, and all) as well as a set of little journals bound in violet leather, the sort of thing she would use when making notes on kidou combinations. She also found a sword cleaning kit that was of much higher quality than the one she currently had. And lastly, there was an old leather bound volume of poetry. That she guessed was from her captain.

It was a much more practical and professional set of presents than she normally got. Still, they were all things Nanao would use and enjoy. She kept the volume of poetry with her after returning the rest of her gifts to her apartment. Nanao was rather curious about it. It wasn't often that her captain gave her a book. She had found that Captain Kyoraku was surprisingly well schooled in literature, but while he was often willing to discuss it with her, he rarely recommended or offered her books. He seemed to think she spent enough of her free time reading as it was. Settling by the koi pond near the Thirteenth Division, Nanao opened the book.

It was an interesting collection, and Nanao was uncertain where her captain had found something like this. She was thankful of his insistence that she learn at least one other language. About half of the poetry was in English instead of Japanese. The poetry ranged quite widely in style and author from Shakespeare to Basho and sonnet to haiku. It was all love poetry though. Hardly surprising given her captain. Still, it was lovely poetry. The man had very good taste when it came to literature. Nanao felt the approach of a familiar reiatsu and looked up from her book.

Her captain stood a few feet away, watching her with oddly solemn eyes. He smiled at her though and came closer.

"Captain?" Nanao tilted her head to the side. Something was odd here.

"I have something for you, Nanao-chan."

She glanced down at the book. Wasn't that his gift? "Sir?"

"It's not a birthday present, Nanao. Not really. I was just waiting for the paperwork to come through, and it just happened to be in time for your birthday."

Nanao raised an eyebrow at that. Her captain was not known for his interest in paperwork. With a solemn air, her captain produced an item from his haori. It wasn't until he was tying the band around her arm that Nanao realized it was a lieutenant's badge.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Ise."

She blinked in surprised shock. She had only mastered her shikai two months ago. There had to be other officers in the division that were far more qualified than she was. Before she could formulate some sort of protest, her captain broke the solemn moment by gathering her up in a firm hug. Nanao hugged him back, for once not giving him a hard time about inappropriate behavior. When he released her, Captain Kyoraku looked her straight in the eye.

"I know you probably think that there is someone else more qualified for this position. There isn't, Nanao. You were my first and best choice for the position. Yama-ji agreed with me."

Nanao blinked again and let out a breath. Captain Yamamoto thought she was good choice for the position. The lieutenant's badge looked a little out of place with her yukata, but Nanao found that she wanted to leave it. She smiled tentatively at her captain; she was still unsure about this even if he wasn't.

"Thank you for your confidence in me."

He smiled back at her then swept her into another hug, completely ruining the serious mood. Things quickly resumed their normal routine after that. Except every once in awhile, Nanao found herself tracing the design on her new badge of office, not quite able to believe it was really there. As she sat on the roof that evening, watching the fireworks with her captain, Nanao found herself resting her hand on the badge. It was real. She was really the lieutenant of the 8th division. With a smile, she tilted her head back to see the fireworks a little better. Despite what her captain said about it not really being a birthday present, she thought it had made the day just a little more special. Of course, now she was going to have to figure out how to get her captain to his paperwork on a regular basis.


	4. Fourth

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Fourth**

Nanao was running late. She had overslept by a good three hours. That was probably due to the amount of paperwork she'd been doing for the past week. Once again her captain had managed to avoid doing any of the office work, and they were behind. It wouldn't make such a difference if quarterly reports weren't due next week. Still, today was her birthday and she wasn't going to worry about it right now.

Finishing pinning up her hair, Nanao glanced in the mirror. This year's yukata was blue patterned with irises. It had been nearly thirty years since her first birthday with the Eighth Division, and her captain still gave her a yukata every year. A young woman in her twenties looked back from the mirror at her. Nanao smiled and took a deep breath. This was her birthday. She was going to spend the day with her captain and enjoy it. She was not going to let the fact that she had realized that she was head over heels in love with Shunsui Kyoraku effect that.

With a nod, she headed for the office to what present had been left for her this year. The fact that she was in love with her captain was a recent revelation, and Nanao was still coming to grips with it. She had fallen in love with the man without realizing it, and now that she did, she honestly wasn't sure what to do about it. Yes, Kyoraku flirted with her and teased her more than he did other women, but she was also around him more than other women. Nanao rather doubted he was serious about it; she wasn't the type of woman than men pursued.

She shook her head as she entered the office. Her captain just had to nearly get himself killed and make realize just how important he was to her. And now she had sort out a whole mess of emotions and figure out what to do about them. It was really rather…

Nanao lost her train of thought at the sight of her desk. While the regular small gifts from various friends and colleagues were there, there was also an extremely large package that took up most of her desk. Leaving that one for last, Nanao began investigating her other gifts. There were several books, both prose and poetry, and a new hair clip. Someone had also included a little sampler of perfumes. With a deep breath she turned the large package. It was easy enough to unwrap, but once she had, Nanao stood there in shock.

She had admitted to the fact that her koto lessons were one of the few things that she remembered from when she had been alive in a desperate attempt to keep her captain conscious while they waited for the Fourth Division to arrive. And he had given her a koto for her birthday. It couldn't have come from anyone else. And it was a beautiful instrument. The man drove her crazy half the time, and then he turned around and did something like this.

Nanao tucked her other gifts into the desk, she didn't think she could carry them and the koto, before taking the instrument out onto the porch the wrapped around the division building. It took her a few moments to get the koto set and to dredge up her memories about where to start, but once her fingers started moving over the strings, Nanao found it easy to remember what she was doing. It was easy enough to lose herself in the music.

Her captain's shadow startled her out of the reverie the music had created. Nanao found herself blushing. Kyoraku just smiled.

"Do you like your present?"

"Very much. Thank you."

He helped her carry the koto and the rest of her presents back to her quarters before they left for lunch. Nanao found it a little harder than usual to relax around her captain, mostly because she seemed to blush whenever he smiled at her or complimented her. It irritated her to no end. When she hadn't realized she was in love with him, it hadn't happened. Still, by the time they had reached the booths set up for the games, Nanao was feeling much better about the whole being in love thing even if she still didn't know what she was going to do about it. And if she perhaps sat closer to Shunsui than usual when they watched the fireworks, he didn't comment on it, and neither did she. Nanao could figure out her love life later.


	5. Fifth

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Fifth**

Despite all of the recent upheaval and the war on the horizon, Nanao had every intention of enjoying both her birthday and the Tanabata festival. The excuse for a party was really needed by all the Shinigami. Things had been rather grim of late, and everyone could use a chance to have some fun. Including herself. Nanao hesitated a moment in front of the mirror then pulled her hair into a loose braid and left it down. It looked all right. She wasn't used to wearing her hair down, but she felt like doing something different this year.

Nanao had come to some decisions recently, most likely because of the whole mess Aizen had called. And she had decided upon her birthday present for herself this year. She was going to kiss Shunsui Kyoraku. That was her plan, and she was sticking to it. She was not going to allow herself to chicken out of this. Double checking to make sure her obi was tied properly, Nanao smiled at her new yukata. This year's pattern was fireflies, and she thought it was rather appropriate.

Humming to herself, she made her way to her office. She didn't really expect to find much there. It had been too crazy lately for anyone to really worry about birthday presents. Besides, she didn't really need gifts. The friendships she had were gifts enough. Still, there was a little clutch of wrapped gifts on her desk: some sheet music for the koto, a carved jar of hand lotion, and a delicate necklace that looked like a chain of stars. The last one had to be from her captain. It wasn't the first time he had given her jewelry, but it was one of the most romantic pieces he'd ever given her. Typically when it came to her birthday presents, her captain shied away from things that could be interpreted romantically.

She put the necklace on, tucking it under the collar of her yukata, and headed for the Tenth Division. She wanted to check on Rangiku before she got caught up in her birthday fun. Most people thought Rangiku was doing fairly well, and she probably was doing better than many of the others who were close to the three captains that had turned traitor. However, that didn't mean she wasn't hurting. She just wasn't letting many people see it. When Nanao found Rangiku, however, she was in one of her 'keep Captain Hitsugaya from brooding' moods and clearly not wanting a sympathetic ear. Nanao left her to it. Ran would find her when she needed her.

Then she got distracted by both Captain Unohana and Captain Ukitake who had spotted her on her way back towards the Eighth. So she didn't have a chance to search out her captain before he came in search of her to take her to lunch. They went to their usual noodle shop, and Nanao had a lovely time, even if the butterflies in her stomach had decided to take up dancing. But she wasn't going to let herself back out of her decision. She just needed to find the right moment. Nanao had decided that she didn't know what the future might bring, but she would be pretty upset with herself if something happened, and she hadn't taken the chance to see if her captain actually loved her back.

Her captain then proceeded to drag her off to the festival games where they ended up being joined by several of their friends. It was a little disappointing, but Nanao could wait. And it was fun. Especially since her captain seemed incapable of passing a single game without giving it a try. However, she was quite thankful that two of them were left alone to take up their usual spot on the roof to watch the fireworks. Nanao curled up at his side, and when he teasing offered some sake, Nanao plucked the cup out of his hand and took a sip.

"Thank you."

The stunned look on his face was just too funny. She giggled then leaned into press her lips to his. Shunsui kissed her back. When he drew away, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Happy birthday, Nanao-chan."


	6. Sixth

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Sixth**

For the first time since she had joined the Eighth Division, Nanao woke up on her birthday and did not find a neatly folded yukata waiting for her. Of course, this was the first time she had woken up on her birthday wrapped in Shunsui Kyoraku's arms. With a smile, Nanao snuggled a little deeper into her husband's embrace. They had been married this spring after the all of the mess from the Winter War was cleaned up. Shunsui's only response was to mumble something in his sleep and tighten his arms around her. Not that Nanao minded. She really wasn't in a hurry to get out of bed. Changing her morning ritual on her birthday didn't really bother her at all. Though, Nanao decided, she'd like her husband to be awake for it.

It was much later than normal when Nanao finally made it to the office. She was dressed in a new yukata though. Shunsui had insisted on giving her yet another one. Of course, this year's was pink with a pattern of white cherry blossoms, but she could live with that. She could also live with the fact that her desk seemed practically overflowing with gifts this year. Probably because she had insisted on people not going overboard with wedding gifts. With a sigh, Nanao shoved the lingerie in a desk drawer; that was definitely from Rangiku. The complete tea set and several canisters of her favorite teas was much more appreciated as well the complete set of Shakespeare's plays. Nanao also found several bottles of sake which made her raise her eyebrow. She had married the man, not acquired his addictions.

She sorted through the rest of the gifts, determining what she could carry back to her new quarters and what she'd need to make a second trip for. Or, Nanao smiled, she could wait until her husband came looking for her, and then it would only take one trip. This plan worked quite well. And then Shunsui decided he should give her the other gift he had for her before they headed off to lunch which happened to be earrings that matched the necklace he'd given her last year. The two of them lingered over lunch, engrossed in a discussion of literature.

Nanao would admit she wasn't quite used to letting Shunsui wrap an arm around her waist in public or the way that some people did double takes when they walked by, but she enjoyed being with Shunsui too much to care. She had been in love with this man for years before she had taken a chance and acted on it, and in her mind, she had a number of lost opportunities to make up for. Though her birthday never really was one. Her birthday had always been one of the few times of the year that she felt comfortable just being herself and spending the day with Shunsui. And their marriage really hadn't changed their traditions around this day much.

And it was much nice to watch the fireworks sitting in Shunsui's lap instead of sitting beside him. He kissed the top of her head, and Nanao let out a content sigh. It really was a good birthday.


	7. Seventh

Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

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**Seventh**

Nanao Kyoraku smiled at her reflection in the mirror, one hand dropping to rest on her stomach. Not that there was anything to see just yet. In fact, Retsu had only confirmed her suspicions this morning. She was keeping that news to herself for now though. It would keep for another few days until Shunsui's birthday. Nanao bit back a giggle. It would definitely be a good birthday present. She and Shunsui had talked about starting a family several times over the past year, but neither of them had expected it to happen so soon after they had started trying.

Smoothing the folds of her violet yukata, Nanao headed back outside where her husband was waiting for her. She had insisted on stopping by their shared quarters before the two of them headed to the division roof to watch the fireworks. Shunsui smiled as she approached before scooping her up in his arms and taking them to the roof in a flash. Nanao situated herself in his lap, her head tucked under his chin. She leaned back against his chest, her eyes on the sky. Her birthday was one of her favorite events of the year, and this was her favorite part of it. Just the two of them alone together watching the night sky explode with color.

Shunsui's lips brushed her ear. "Is my precious Nanao-chan having a happy birthday?"

She turned her head so she could kiss him properly. Shunsui tasted like sake and the sweet cakes they'd eaten earlier. "Yes."

"Good." He kissed her again. "I love you, Nanao. I don't know what I did to be lucky enough to have you in my life, but I'll forever be grateful. My life would be so much emptier without you."

Nanao blushed, touched by his heartfelt words. "I love you too, Shunsui. There's no one else that I would trust with my heart."

She soon found herself distracted from the fireworks. But that was all right. Nanao would take the fireworks she and Shunsui made over the real thing any day.


End file.
